The US Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are adding crash imminent braking and dynamic brake support to the list of recommended safety features under the New Car Assessment Program. They are not mandated technologies, simply encouraged for new vehicle buyers.

The Audi A3 and S3 sedans aced the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program tests, each scoring five stars overall. The A3 sedan is also a Top Safety Pick+ according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

There has been a steady march of progress in automotive safety over the years, evolving from the initial introduction of seat belts and padded dash surfaces to airbags and anti-lock brakes, and, more recently, to some of today's vehicles that actively try to avoid a crash. Unfortunately, knowing about all of that advancement only makes the incredibly poor performance of the Indian-market Datsun Go in a recent crash test by Global NCAP that much more terrifying to watch.

If you've been aching to see more Tesla Model S crash test videos, it's your lucky day. The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) safety agency has announced that the EV scored a 5-star safety rating in a new battery of tests. And it released the video footage for you to "enjoy," which you can do below.

General Motors has just scored a big win with its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, acing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration New Car Assessment Program. The two full-size trucks had already netted a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in their crew-cab variants, but the new testing certifies them as five-star trucks in both regular and double-cab bodystyles, so GM's trucks offer top ratings across the board.

Getting a new diesel-powered car just got a bit easier. Volkswagen has announced a new Jetta TDI Value Edition for 2014 that trims over $2,000 off the starting price of a Jetta TDI, making the most affordable diesel-powered car in America even more so. Prices start at $21,295 (*plus $820 for destination) for a Value Edition with a six-speed manual transmission, while a six-speed dual-clutch automatic adds $1,100 to the price. For that money, owners will get 140 horsepower, 236 pound-feet of torq

Mitsubishi may have faced some pesky little battery-fire issues with its Outlander Plug-in Hybrid earlier this year in Japan, but as far as Europeans are concerned, the SUV is pretty darn safe. The Japanese automaker says the Outlander PHEV just received the highest-possible five-star rating by the 2013 Europe New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Mitsubishi notes that other awards for the SUV include the Car of the Year Japan award for 2013-14 and, more recently, the Automotive Researchers' and Jo

Cheaper welds, inferior materials, scant safety features all lead to higher profits

The cars roll endlessly off the local assembly lines of the industry's biggest automakers, more than 10,000 a day, into the eager hands of Brazil's new middle class. The shiny new Fords, Fiats, and Chevrolets tell the tale of an economy in full bloom that now boasts the fourth largest auto market in the world.

The 2013 Ford Focus in ST trim recently beat the Volkswagen GTI in our head-to-head comparison, and now the Focus has another feather in its cap: earning a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program, something it failed to do in this generation's first year of production.

From the 2014 model year, any manufacturer hoping to score five stars on the Euro NCAP safety ratings will need to make sure the vehicle in question is equipped with AEB, or Autonomous Emergency Braking. Among other features provided by systems like Pre-Safe from Mercedes-Benz and Collision Mitigation Braking System from Honda, it warns a driver if their closing speed on the vehicle ahead is outside of a preset safe braking parameter, and if they neglects to make any inputs, the vehicle will bra

Cadillac has earned itself a gaggle of five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program for the 2012 CTS sedan and wagon and SRX crossover. The CTS earned four stars for the rollover test, but five stars in the frontal and side tests, giving it a score of five stars overall. The SRX returned the same results and the rakish CTS Coupe hasn't yet been rated.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is slowly unveiling the results of the freshly updated five-star New Car Assessment Program, and not all 2011 models are faring so well. USA Today reports that the 2011 Honda Civic is the latest such victim after the popular compact sedan received an overall score of three stars; down one star from the 2010 model year. The Civic's score was downgraded due in part to a woeful side impact score of two stars. The female crash-test dummy on the pass

For the 2011 model year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has implemented tougher crash testing procedures that make it more difficult for vehicles to receive a five-star rating. The new test is known as the NCAP, or New Car Assessment Program, and the first batch of cars were evaluated earlier in the year. Ten more vehicles have been subjected to the NCAP, and the results are promising... for most.